Toy Story 3 - Round-up

On Saturday I and a host of AMers all piled into the London ODEON Cinema to watch Toy Story 3. For me the best character in the entire movie is Ken voiced by Michael Keaton. Ken has a number of moments in the film which are so funny. I would have loved to have animated some of them shots.

I won't say to much here about the movie as it can be very easy to spoil it. But I did feel the movie dragged just a little at Sunny Side. There is so much going on in TS3 that you are easily entertained and pleased to see the old character back on screen. Even the old toys you possibly once played with as a child. I did in fact have one of them fisher price phones

TS3 has gone all out on technological front. The fur on the bear when it comes into contact with water. The number of models and different sets/locations in the movie. The fact that every character has imperfections like dirt, scratches and blemishes, there is an amazing amount of attention to detail gone into this film. I think old Walt would be pleased that his ideas of pushing things and constantly challenging technology is still being carried on today in his films.

Over all the film is very good and I can't honestly say which Toy Story film is better as they all different.

Animation Mentor meetup go and see Pixar's UP at the BFI

A little late on posting this, but on the 11th of October I and host of fellow Animation Mentor Students (AMers) went to the BFI to see Pixar's UP which had finally came to the UK borders after our American cousins had it way way way back in the early part of this year and couldn't stop talking about in the AM forums. Well now its our turn to finally see it and what can I say its truly a fantastic film, its way UP there in my top 10 (sorry bad pun and yes they have only made 10 films thus far). But I couldn't tell you what my other favourite Pixar film is/are as I think they all so different in their own way.

Below is a picture of some of the people that met up at Waterloo station (no Bourne moments on that day) As you can see we're a happy bunch.

The AM gathering was great. We try to meet every time there is a new CG film on in town. And its nice to see old and new faces. Way back when, the meetup was only around six people. In the last count it was 20+ this time around. Sooo year on year more and more people are coming to the UK AM gatherings which means more friends, networking and finding out whats going on in town (animation jobs) and chatting about random stuff that some how always ends up coming back to animation...